Technology and screen time have become an integral part of life for both adults and children. It allows for better communication and an incredible ability to exchange information. However, it can also lead to the sleep deprivation that affects anywhere from 28 to 44 percent of the population. A few simple habit changes can turn things around so you still get the full seven to nine hours of sleep you need.

Screen Time and the Sleep Cycle

Your brain largely relies on natural light to correctly time the start of the sleep cycle. The sunlight that reaches the Earth’s surface lies on the blue spectrum. Special photo receptors in the eyes absorb blue spectrum light and send signals directly to the part of the brain that controls the sleep cycle. During the day when light levels are high, sleep hormones are suppressed. As light fades in the evening, the brain releases sleep hormones to begin the sleep cycle.

The light emitted from the screens of your favorite electronic devices like the televisions, laptops, or smartphones can also emit a blue spectrum light. While it may not be as powerful as light from the sun, it’s still absorbed by the same photoreceptors and travels to the brain to suppress sleep hormones. Consequently, screen time can throw off the timing of the sleep cycle, leading to sleep deprivation.

How to Manage Screen Time for Better Sleep

The responsible use of technology and electronics can certainly help you get better sleep. However, you also need to have the right conditions in your bedroom. A comfortable mattress, cool temperatures, and complete darkness are also essential. If you start with a room set up for success, you’re more likely to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.

Set a Curfew

A curfew on the use of electronics can help your whole family get better sleep. In general, your brain needs two to three hours to adjust to changing light levels so the curfew should start two to three hours before bedtime.

Calm Down the Evening Atmosphere

If you’ve already got an electronic curfew in place, your next step is to bring the evening energy levels down in your home. Try dimming the lights, turning off the television, listening to quiet music, or reading a book. If you have young children, it’s a good time to work on puzzles, color, or engage in other quiet activities.

Remove Electronic Devices from the Bedroom

For many people, the use of electronic devices at bedtime is a habit that’s hard to break. Help yourself by completely removing them from the bedroom. The light from the television won’t keep you awake and notifications from your smartphone can wait until morning.

Use a Bedtime Routine to Your Advantage

Help yourself fall asleep by using your bedtime routine to your advantage. Perform activities in the routine in the same order and start at the same time each night. Over time, the brain recognizes your routine and releases sleep hormones when it senses the start of your bedtime routine.

Conclusion

Adequate sleep is a full partner in your overall health and well-being. It may take time and a concentrated effort to develop habits that manage screen time better, but it’s well worth it. Better sleep acts as the foundation on which to build your personal and professional goals. So turn off the phone and shut the laptop to give your body a chance to get the rest it needs.

As a middle aged woman (can’t believe I just typed that), it has become increasingly important to find like-minded women, both near and far, who share my interests, beliefs, and goals. SAGED is a great place for that.

SAGED is an IOS app created by Julia Munck, with the goal of awakening the divine feminine. It offers both a free option and a paid membership in the Saged Circle. There are articles by various contributors, guided meditations, groups to join and contribute to, an option to save posts, members to follow, beautiful photos, and a place to create your profile. In general, this is a way for women to connect, feel empowered, and share their talents in a safe, spiritual environment. This app honors the divine feminine for women all over the world.

Out of all that it offers, these are my top three reasons to join:

The groups vary and surely are still growing. You can choose from Book Club, Healing Foods, Music, Conscious Parenting, Self-Care, Astrology, and many more. Currently, the largest group is Moon Work.

Guided Meditations are so helpful to those just beginning their meditation journey. One of the contributors, Jen Duchane, did a lovely guided healing meditation in which she led me through a path of healing light that washed over me. It was wonderful.

You can choose to write for SAGED. What a great opportunity for all women to share their thoughts, talents, and discoveries! This is truly an open platform for all women looking for a full and joyful life.

Why You Need To Be Mindful Of Your Weight

Not having a healthy weight has been shown to have some negative effects on our health. We have gotten to the era where we eat more and burn less which leads to having an unhealthy weight and some serious health conditions.

Before we go on to know why we need to be mindful of our weight, we need to understand what weight means and what it means to have a healthy weight.

What Is A Healthy Weight All About?

Bones, muscles, water and fat all contribute to our body weight. We usually use our weighing scales and Body Mass Index (BMI) to measure our body weight. However, the weighing scale does not break up our body weight into bones, fat, muscles and water.

One of the major components of physical fitness is body composition, which can be used similarly with weight. Body composition gives a percentage break down of the fat and nonfat components of our body. The nonfat components are our muscles, bones, organs, and water.

What Does It Mean To Have A Healthy Weight?

We will be using BMI to determine a healthy weight. It is an index that measures the weight of a person as a function of the person’s height.

To calculate your BMI, simply divide your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters. The unit is usually kilograms per square meter.

Here’s what different BMI values mean:

Underweight- Less than 18.5

Normal weight- 18.5 to 24.9

Overweight- 25 to 29.9

Obese- Above 30

Body Fat

We now know the ideal body fat we are expected to have but why do we need to watch it since fat is not the only component of our weight? Let’s break down fat to fully understand why we need to watch this aspect of our body composition.

There are two major types of fat:

1. Subcutaneous fat

This is fat stored underneath our skin. This type of fat is not so harmful to our health. Excess subcutaneous fat can be removed using liposuction.

2. Visceral Fat

This is fat stored around our organs and in our tummy. This type of fat in excess has harmful effects on our health. Excess visceral fat, however, cannot be removed by liposuction.

So the fat we should actually be watching is our visceral fat.

A high visceral fat increases the risk of hypertension, stroke, and heart attacks. So, you should follow a good and healthy lifestyle by eating a balanced diet and exercising often. This will help you prevent chronic diseases that can hamper your mobility in old age like osteoarthritis- which can cause severe pain at the back of the knee.

This fat is found around our organs and also major blood vessels in the body that transport blood around the body.

Why You Should Be Mindful Of Your Weight

Just because you are slim does not mean you should not watch your weight because your weight might just be more of visceral fat. Also, people who think they are fat may have more subcutaneous fat and reduced visceral fat and actually be healthier than their slim counterparts.

As a rule, one way to combat bad fat is to eat a balanced diet and exercise frequently. You can try to get an appointment with a dietitian and get yourself a home exercise bike. Here are some reasons to ensure you mind your weight.

1. Your Heart

Imagine having a lot of fat around your heart. The heart needs to work extra hard to pump blood through this fat and through the blood vessels that may be compressed by the fat. This can lead to cardiovascular disorders such as hypertension.

2. Your Blood Vessels

Fat can also build up in our blood vessels, which in turn leads to reduced blood flowing within the arteries and therefore reduced blood flow to certain parts of the body. It can lead to some vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis.

3. Your Blood Sugar

The pancreas secretes insulin that controls our blood sugar. Excess visceral fat can clog the passageway of the blood vessels, which will reduce the insulin flow to the carbohydrate consumed, and cause an increase in blood sugar level. It can also make the pancreas overwork itself and reduce the production of insulin to break down sugar. This can lead to diabetes.

Conclusion

There are a lot of health issues with an unhealthy weight. Do not assume your appearance makes up for how healthy you are. You can stay healthy by paying attention to your weight. Weight is not just the numbers you see on a weighing scale, your weight is in you.

Dr. Charles-Davies is a licensed medical practitioner who loves to educate people about their body and health.

If you hear yourself often saying any of the following things about sleep, please read on:

“I am not a good sleeper.”

“I wake up at 3 am and stay awake.”

“I am always tired.”

My husband, my mother, my father, and I have said all of these things numerous times in our lives. My husband and father both have Sleep Apnea. When treated with a CPAP machine, they have the quality and quantity of rest they need. My mother is a worrier. She can’t sleep because she’s thinking too much. That’s a bit of my problem as well, but I am like most mothers with small children…I am a light sleeper. I hear every sound. I use a fan, but I still hear every little noise.

According to “Causes of Sleep Problems” on WebMD:

Other factors that can interfere with sleep include:

Genetics: Researchers have found a genetic basis for narcolepsy, a neurological disorder of sleep regulation that affects the control of sleep and wakefulness.

Night shift work: People who work at night often experience sleep disorders, because they cannot sleep when they start to feel drowsy. Their activities run contrary to their biological clocks.

Medications: Many drugs can interfere with sleep, such as certain anti-depressants, blood pressure medication, and over-the-counter cold medicine.

Aging: About half of all adults over the age of 65 have some sort of sleep disorder. It is not clear if it is a normal part of aging or a result of medications that older people commonly use.

My doctor recently told me that everyone should be able to sleep through the night, for at least eight hours, without getting up to go to the bathroom. And if you can’t, you should see a urologist. While I don’t really believe that because every BODY is different, I do believe that we can achieve quality rest with easy and safe habits.

These are all manageable habits. And the last one is simply a mindset. We think we can survive a day after a bad night sleep with caffeine, power drinks, and just pushing through, but we don’t have to and we shouldn’t. Sleep is a huge part of your lives. We are meant to spend about one third of our lives asleep. That’s a lot! Make it a priority. Find the ways that work for you. And get a good night’s sleep.

An article from emma caught my eye as I was searching for information on good email marketing strategies. As a visual person, I was most intrigued by the ideas about the use of font, color, and images. You can greatly influence the impression your business portrays and the desired emotions and actions of your reader by paying close attention to these content characteristics.

In looking at the best choices for my Yoga business, I see that a Modern font might be best, as it portrays a “chic vibe” and is “less traditional”. The color Blue works for my marketing strategy as it is calming and evokes trust. Apparently I’ve been doing something right by including images of people doing yoga in my classes or clients receiving Reiki treatments in my home studio. I always thought of that as a great way to invite others into my classes and sessions.

Emma has a myriad of articles, webinars, podcasts, and professional services. I encourage you to read this article and others, watch a demo, and ask questions about their various membership options. In the meantime, enjoy learning about how the simple use of fonts, colors, and images can make your email marketing content all that much better!

What font should I choose?

Choosing a font is an important decision when creating an email marketing campaign, and it isn’t one that should be taken lightly. When you go through the font styles, you must keep your company in mind.

Are you marketing a young, bright clothing store? Or are you marketing a doctor’s office?

No matter what it is you are advertising, there’s a font that will fit your needs.

Let’s take a look at the different types of fonts that are available and what kind of vibe they can emulate in your marketing campaign:

Serif: This type of font is great for companies that are creating campaigns that show they are respectable and reliable.

Sans Serif: Fonts that fall under this category gives the reader a sense of stability. It shows that the business is clean and objective.

Script: When you use fonts that are considered script, you can create content that is seen as elegant and affectionate.

Modern: If you are looking to emulate strength in your email marketing campaign, modern fonts will be the right choice for you. They put off a progressive and chic vibe that attracts those who are less traditional.

Which colors should I use?

Colors and human psychology interact with each other daily, and it will have a significant impact on the success of your email marketing campaigns.

There is no right or wrong color, but it’s important to use the colors that correlate with the emotion you’re looking to achieve.

Red: Gives a sense of urgency and increases the viewer’s heart rate and adrenaline. If you’re looking for them to make an urgent decision, like a CTA, choosing a red button would be a great choice.

Orange: This color is associated with emotions that are fun and happy. It provides warmth and optimism to your content and will work well with campaigns looking to provoke that kind of emotion.

Blue: Using the color blue provides a calming sensation, which is why doctor’s offices and hospitals are usually complemented with hints of blue. It emulates the feeling of trust and loyalty.

Green: Gives the feeling of growth because of its association with nature. It’s a balanced color that can also put off the feeling of growth from a financial point-of-view.

The psychology behind colors can be fluid because individuals can have their own associations with different colors. However, it is pretty standard to use the previous list as guidelines to help you choose the perfect color scheme for your campaign.

What image should I include?

Let’s be honest–most of the time, your users are skimming your emails. Everyone is on-the-go, so that means everyone is glancing at their loaded inboxes without much thought. That’s where the importance of your design comes into play.

It’s crucial to choose the right image for your email, but how do you know which one is the right one?

The hero image you choose should depict the message you’re trying to deliver within the content of your email. It kind of gives your reader a little hint as to what to expect from that email. Images of other people is a great way to engage with your users, and pictures of an event you may be covering could also be a great avenue to take. But with the number of industries that exist, there is no image that can cover all of the bases. So, it’s up to you to decide what is right for your specific campaign.

No matter if your image is of a plate of food, a concert, or of a kitten – be confident that your image will draw people in and contribute to the message you’re trying to deliver.